The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by R.E. Bradford

Astros first-sacker Brent McCann blocks a pickoff throw in the dirt in action against San Mateo. The Astros lost 12-7 in the Joe DiMaggio League game.

Astros win, then fall

Power not enough in loss to San Mateo

By Dick Sparrer

Tony Plant crushed a two-run homer.

Kayzell Milton belted a two-run double.

But the offensive heroics of the two sluggers were not nearly enough to help the Sunnyvale Astros overcome a 10-1 San Mateo lead in Joe DiMaggio League baseball action last week.

San Mateo opened up a commanding lead before Plant's homer and Milton's double sparked a six-run rally for the Astros in the sixth inning.

But San Mateo got two of the runs back in the seventh and went on to post a lopsided 12-7 league victory.

The loss came just two nights after the Astros had held on for a 12-6 win over Mountain View.

Lamar Harvey led off the game with a home run and finished up by tossing the final few innings to help nail down the win. But in between, things were anything but easy for the Astros.

Harvey's homer keyed a two-run rally in the first, and he knocked in a run in the second. But Mountain View battled back to take a 4-3 lead in the third.

The Astros jumped back in front in the fourth. Gabe Duran singled home Milton and Antoine Watts crushed a three-run double to help the locals jump out to a 10-4 lead.

But the Astros couldn't hold down Mountain View--at least until Harvey took over on the mound. He came on to quiet a rally by striking out the side in the fourth, and the Astros were clinging to a 10-6 lead.

Harvey went the rest of the way to pick up the win, striking out 10 in four innings of work. Ben Amiwero struck out seven over the first three frames.

Milton, Watts, Brett Erickson and Jeremy Cunningham had two hits each for the Astros in the win.

Sunnyvale had just lost three straight the previous weekend, falling to San Carlos before dropping both ends of a doubleheader to San Mateo.

The Astros saw a lead drift away in the first game of the twin bill before losing 8-7 in eight innings. They dropped the nightcap 9-5.

Sunnyvale will be home for a pair of games this week at Homestead High School. The Astros host Burlingame on June 18, 5:30 p.m., and Daly City on June 20, 5:30 p.m.

All-leaguers

Amiwero, Milton and Harvey were among many members of the Astros club named to all-league teams after the recently completed high school baseball season.

Amiwero, Milton and Steve Goldberg were Homestead players named to the all-league team in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, and Fremont's Harvey and Nick Duran were also named to the first team. All five players are members of the Astros.

Amiwero was named a first-team pitcher for the Mustangs, and Goldberg was picked to the first infield.

Milton, a junior, and Harvey, a senior, were all-league first- team outfielders and Duran won the first-team utility spot.

[ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ]

This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, June 18, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.